About Us

Workplace safety and protection of the environment are part of every OFS SPD employee’s job and responsibility. No job is so import that we cannot take time to plan how to do it safely, and then do it safely for people and for the environment. No employee has the authority or the responsibility to work unless the job will be done safely. Part of our environmental and safety commitment includes adhering to U.S. and international laws and directives related to manufacturing and environmental practices, including the management of restricted materials.

Management of Restricted Materials

OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, appreciates and shares the environmental concerns that prompted use-restrictions for an expanding list of chemical substances. As an environmentally responsible global manufacturer and leader in the optical fiber industry, we have implemented procedures and processes to abide by chemical use restrictions. These processes are incorporated into our ISO quality procedures and are an integral part of our Quality Management System. We routinely review our products to evaluate the need to redesign and/or obsolete products in consideration of up-to-date material-use restrictions. In addition, our product design procedure includes controls at various points in the process in order to ensure that appropriate materials are chosen, purchased, and used in the manufacture of new products.

REACH

OFS Specialty Photonics Division is a “supplier of articles” per Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, “Registration, Evaluation and Authorization (and restriction) of Chemicals (REACH)”. REACH requires that suppliers communicate with article recipients when “Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC)” are present in concentrations exceeding 0.1% weight of an article. Below is the table of the most updated SVHC list which is maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Chemicals have been added as recently as 06/18/10.

OFS SPD issues written statements (upon request) documenting whether an OFS part contains 0.1% or more by weight of any SVHC listed in Table 1. Written statements consider the following information:

• Supplier responses to OFS restricted substance surveys distributed since April 2004
• Supplier-prepared Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and or technical data sheets
• OFS knowledge of process. Please note that although it is possible for a listed substance to be a naturally- or industrially-occurring trace contaminant, OFS does not knowingly or intentionally add these chemicals to the referenced product(s). Although we do not anticipate their presence, please recognize that OFS SPD does not routinely analyze our products for these substances.

RoHS

With rare exception (in accordance with RoHS stated exemptions), OFS SPD parts installed in electrical or electronic equipment, will comply with the European Union (EU) “Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)” Directive as per the following criteria:

• Maximum Lead (Pb) conc.: <1000 parts per million (ppm)/ <0.1% by weight
• Maximum Hexavalent Chromium (Cr+6) conc.: <1000 ppm/ <0.1% by weight
• Maximum Cadmium (Cd) conc.: <100 parts per million (ppm)/ <0.01% by weight
• Maximum Mercury (Hg) conc.: <1000 ppm/ <0.1% by weight
• Maximum Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) conc.: <1000 ppm/ <0.1% by weight
• Maximum Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) conc.: <1000 ppm/ <0.1% by weight

Perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS)

Restrictions on perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS) in European markets became effective June 27th, 2008. EU Directive 2006/122/EC (12 December, 2006; 30th amendment to EU Directive 76/769/EEC) requires that PFOS not be placed on the market or used as a substance or constituent in concentrations equal to or greater than 0.005% by weight. Please be advised that OFS Specialty Photonics Division does not knowingly or intentionally include PFOS as an ingredient in any of our fiber, cable, or assembly product recipes. Review of our suppliers’ materials safety data sheets shows no indication of PFOS at concentrations required for reporting under U.S. Occupational Health and Safety law (Hazard Communications, 29 CFR 1910.1200).

Bisphenol-A (BPA)

Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been used in the synthesis of polyesters, polysulfones, polyolefins, and polyether ketones. BPA has been a product additive in hydraulic brake fluid, rubber, soap, textiles, plasticizing chemicals, and (as a polymerization inhibitor) in poly vinyl chloride. BPA is has also been used in the production of polycarbonate plastic, the fire retardant TBBPA, and some epoxy resins. OFS parts are evaluated for BPA upon request. OFS SPD evaluation includes review of OFS SPD’s material specifications and “List of Material” drawings, our knowledge of our process, pertinent supply chain documentation (including “composition statements”, technical data sheets and or material safety data sheets), and known/ documented applications for BPA.

Latex

It is the policy of OFS Specialty Photonics Division in Avon, Connecticut, to manufacture products that are latex-free and that do not come in contact with latex during our manufacturing process.

Heparin

OFS Specialty Photonics Division in Avon, Connecticut does not knowingly or intentionally manufacture or distribute products that contain or utilize heparin in any form. Heparin is a biologically derived organic molecule that is not intentionally used in our manufacturing process nor is it suspected of being a contaminant.

If a customer has any additional concerns not addressed here, please contact our Customer Relations Department at: 860 678 0371, and press 1 at the menu.

Products, services, and technologies produced in the United States by OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, are subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U. S. Department of Commerce.

If you will be reshipping our product overseas, you will need a Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) number and an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN). Those are listed in the Export ¬Matrix, in alpha-numeric order by OFS part number. There are also regulations you must know and comply with regarding Prohibited or Restricted Destinations, End Users, Restricted End Uses, and more.

Our Commitment to Our Customers and to Compliance

We take compliance with the import and export laws and regulations very seriously. We welcome our international customers, appreciate your business, and do everything possible to make sure that we efficiently process your requests for quotation and orders while strictly following U.S. import and export rules and regulations.

Following is a summary to help our customers better understand of OFS and our customers compliance responsibilities. This is just a summary and it’s not intended to be a full description of compliance requirements and obligations.

What to Avoid -

• Providing any certifications or representations of the country of origin of a product without prior written approval from OFS
• Transferring any export-controlled items or technology or services without the required export authorization
• Providing inaccurate, incomplete or unsubstantiated invoice or import documentation, including those related to product description, classification, valuation, country of origin or quantity
• Completing Free Trade Agreement County of Origin certifications without proper back up documentation and complete analysis
• Not reporting amendments to Customs declarations for pricing adjustments, indirect payments, or credits received

For a listing of current career opportunities at OFS, click here.

OFS maintains several key memberships in industry associations and actively participates in standards committees. Standing memberships include:

• American Wind Energy Association - AWEA
• Medical Device Manufacturers Association - MDMA
• Open DeviceNet Vendor Association - ODVA
• Optical Society of America - OSA
• The International Society for Optical Engineering - SPIE